Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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451. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the loss of funding to disability organisations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30960/14]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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452. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the cuts to funding for the Irish Deaf Society will be reinstated; if he and his Department aware of the impact these cuts are having on the deaf community; if he is considering reviewing the funding they receive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30973/14]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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456. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reasons funding to the National Deaf Advocacy Service has been abolished; if his attention has been drawn to the serious consequence for the community that rely on this service; his plans to reinstate the funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30677/14]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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463. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will reverse the budget cut to the National Deaf Advocacy Service of the Irish Deaf Society in view of the impact this will have in exacerbating the already existing difficulties in accessing essential public services that the deaf community face; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30754/14]

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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465. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will rescind his decision on cutting funding to the deaf society and other disability groups (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30762/14]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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473. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding funding for advocacy services in respect of the deaf community to help them access a society that they are isolated from; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30850/14]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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474. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if funding will be reinstated to an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30882/14]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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477. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason funding was not awarded to the Huntington's Disease Association of Ireland Limited under the scheme to support national organisations 2014-2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31015/14]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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481. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will reverse the decision to cut funding through the local community and development programme, which benefitted groups such the Irish Deaf Society, in view of the fact that such cuts have resulted in the closure of their advocacy service for thousands of deaf persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31086/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 451, 452, 456, 463, 465, 473, 474, 477 and 481 together.

The funding scheme to support national organisations in the community and voluntary sector aims to provide multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services. A new round of funding was advertised for applications earlier this year. Pobal was asked to undertake an assessment of the applications received, given that organisation's significant experience and expertise of both the design of assessment criteria and completion of assessment functions. My predecessor was anxious to make funding available to as many organisations as possible within the prevailing resource constraints and he approved 55 applications for funding for the two-year period from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2016. The Irish Deaf Society and the Huntington’s Disease Association of Ireland are not approved for funding on this occasion.

Pobal has put in place a dedicated team to deal with any inquiries from applicants and to provide detailed feedback. There is also an appeals process and Pobal has provided applicants with detailed information on this process. As this appeals process is now live, it would not be appropriate for me to make any further comment on the funding process or on the application of any particular organisation.